After trading up earlier in the night to select East Carolina wide receiver Zay Jones, the Buffalo Bills were on the move once again, this time trading back into the second round to select Temple offensive lineman Dion Dawkins.

A three-year starter for the Owls, Dawkins developed into a crucial part of his team’s offensive line. The 23-year-old allowed just eight sacks during his time at Temple.

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Pro Football Focus‘ fourth-best guard in this draft, Dawkins is an efficient pass and run blocker. The outlet gave Dawkins a pass blocking efficiency rating of 98.4, the fourth best amongst offensive tackles in the draft. The six-foot-four, 300+ pound prospect possesses tremendous strength and toughness, an attribute needed in offensive linemen.

Some people see Dawkins as a tackle in the NFL due to his size, and feel as though he could potentially replace right tackle Jordan Mills as soon as this season. Others feel as though Dawkins is better suited as a guard. While we’re not sure what position he will play in the NFL just yet, we do know that he can play both positions.

Some fans are questioning this trade, as the team moved one of their two third-round picks and two fifth-round picks to jump back into the second-round. However, this shouldn’t be a cause for concern – it should actually give fans confidence.

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Whoever is running the team’s draft is obviously high on Dawkins. We’re not sure whether it’s coach Sean McDermott or general manager Doug Whaley that’s actually calling the shots behind the scenes, but whoever is doing so obviously feels as though Dawkins has a bright future in the NFL. They would not have traded a number of draft picks to move back into the second-round if they weren’t confident in Dawkins.

Dawkins is a strong, versatile lineman who the Bills obviously think has a bright future. Give this pick a chance.

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